Ventilation system for a toilet

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a ventilated toilet system with a fan that continuously extracts waste air from the toilet bowl when the toilet is being used. An air passage leads from the toilet bowl to the fan, and the fan pushes the extracted air down another air passage to the toilet&#39;s water discharge path. The fan can be manually operated or can be activated by a sensor that detects the presence of a person. To ease installation, the air passages can be formed integrally with the toilet bowl. A check valve, in some embodiments, prevents the back flow of odors from a sewer line. The fan, its power source, and its controller, can be made into a modular unit made to fit any of a number of toilet fixtures.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of provisional application 60/602,834, filed on Aug. 19, 2004.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to toilets and, more particularly, to toilets with ventilation systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Controlling odors in restrooms intended for disposal of human waste is a long standing problem that has been approached in numerous ways. It is known to use a forced air ventilation system to either vent or filter the odors associated with toilet use. However, the known devices have many structural shortcomings. As a result, the popularity of such devices, and their commercial availability, has not been good.

Some toilet ventilation systems have failed to provide a structure that is easily cleaned. As a result, in time such systems may actually become causes of odor. Other toilet ventilation systems have failed to provide a functional mechanism that may be conformed to fit within an attractive enclosure and as a result have been unsuccessful in gaining market acceptance.

Other toilet ventilation systems have failed to provide an effective switching system to control the ventilation. In some systems, this results in a fan being active for extended periods, causing excessive noise and heat loss during the winter. In some systems, this can also result in a failure to activate the ventilation system when needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, the present invention provides a ventilated toilet system with a fan that continuously extracts waste air from the toilet bowl when the toilet is being used. An air passage leads from the toilet bowl to the fan, and the fan pushes the extracted air down another air passage to the toilet's water discharge path. The fan can be manually operated or can be activated by a sensor that detects the presence of a person. To ease installation, the air passages can be formed integrally with the toilet bowl.

A check valve, in some embodiments, prevents the back flow of odors from a sewer line.

The fan, its power source, and its controller, can be made into a modular unit made to fit any of a number of toilet fixtures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the appended claims set forth the features of the present invention with particularity, the invention, together with its objects and advantages, may be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a partial isometric view of a toilet having a ventilation system in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the toilet of FIG. 1 illustrating air flow through the air intake port of the ventilation system;

FIGS. 3 through 5 are partial views of the air flow through the ventilation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view of a ventilation system with a sensor and a check valve; and

FIG. 7 is a partial isometric view of a one-piece toilet having a ventilation system in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is based on illustrative embodiments of the invention and should not be taken as limiting the invention with regard to alternative embodiments that are not explicitly described herein.

Turning to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 as being implemented in a suitable toilet system 100. The toilet bowl 102 has an air extraction path 104 to extract air from the bowl 102 during operation. The air extraction path 104 may be a single path or a plurality of paths. The location of the air extraction path 104 is above the water-line of the bowl 102. In one embodiment, the air extraction path 104 is proximate to the bowl rim 106. The air extraction path 104 has a discharge port 108 (see FIGS. 3 through 7) that can be located between the toilet seat (not shown) and the water tank 110. (But see FIG. 7 and accompanying text, below, for an alternative location.)

A fan unit 112 with at least one fan 114 is located between the toilet seat and the water tank 110. The housing of the fan unit 112 has an inlet that fits over the discharge port 108 and preferably provides a seal between the discharge port 108 and the housing. The fan unit 112 has an outlet that fits over a vent port 116 (see FIGS. 3 through 7).

The vent port 116 connects to an air discharge path 118 that flows into the toilet's water discharge path 120, which in turn is connected to a sewer line 122. The fan unit 112 may have a check valve 124 (see FIG. 6) or the like that blocks air from flowing up from the sewer line 122 through the fan unit 112 and back into the bowl 102. The check valve may be located near the vent port 116 or near the discharge port 108, or a check valve may be located near both ports 108 and 116.

The fan unit 112 may include a plurality of fans 114 (see FIG. 4). During operation, the fan 114 is either activated manually (e.g., via a push button) or automatically via a sensor. For example, a sensor 128 (see FIG. 6) could be placed on the fan unit 112 that detects movement, weight on the toilet seat, or light. The fan unit 112 turns on the fan 114 when the sensor 128 indicates that a person in sitting on the toilet seat. The fan 114 stays on until the sensor 128 provides an indication that the person is no longer on the seat. The fan 114 in one embodiment stays on for a predetermined period after the sensor 128 indicates that the person is no longer on the seat.

Some toilets are of a one-piece construction where the water tank 110 is integral with the bowl 102. Turning now to FIG. 7, a one-piece toilet 200 is shown. In this embodiment, the air extraction path 104 and the air discharge path 118 pass through the water tank 110. The water tank 110 has a recessed cavity where the discharge port 108 and the vent port 116 are located. The fan unit 112 is placed inside the cavity of the water tank 110 and connects the two ports 108 and 116. The fan unit 112 looks like it is built into the water tank 110 when installed. Changing or repairing the fan unit 112 does not cause leaks in the water tank 110.

As can be seen from the foregoing, a ventilated toilet has been described. The toilet has an internal air path to extract air from the toilet bowl. The waste air is discharged through the internal path of the toilet, through a fan unit, and out to the sewer line via a vent path in the toilet. The fan is activated either manually or by way of a sensor. The fan unit can be modular. For example, different air flows may be provided that fit within the same hole pattern of the discharge and vent ports. The invention has the advantages that all of the air paths can be built into the toilet bowl, which means that no additional external pipes are needed thereby saving installation costs. No air filter is required as waste air is discharged into the sewer pipe. The invention saves water consumption as no flushing is needed to remove waste air. The system is also easy to install, and the fan unit is easy to replace.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the present invention may be applied, it should be recognized that the embodiments described herein with respect to the drawing figures are meant to be illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Those of skill in the art will recognize that some implementation details are determined by specific situations. Therefore, the invention as described herein contemplates all such embodiments as may come within the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereof. 

1. A ventilated toilet system, the ventilated toilet system comprising: a toilet bowl configured for discharging wastes through a water discharge path into a sewer line; the water discharge path leading from the toilet bowl and configured for connecting to the sewer line; an air extraction path leading from the toilet bowl to a fan unit; an air discharge path leading from the fan unit to the water discharge path; and the fan unit comprising a fan, an electrical power source, and a controller, wherein the fan is configured for drawing air from the air extraction path and for directing the extracted air to the air discharge path, wherein the electrical power source is configured for powering the fan, and wherein the controller is configured for controlling the electrical power source to activate the fan.
 2. The ventilated toilet system of claim 1 wherein the air extraction path and the air discharge path are formed integrally with the toilet bowl.
 3. The ventilated toilet system of claim 1 comprising a plurality of air extraction paths.
 4. The ventilated toilet system of claim 1 wherein the fan unit comprises a plurality of fans.
 5. The ventilated toilet system of claim 1 wherein the fan unit further comprises a check valve configured to prevent air from flowing from the air discharge path to the air extraction path.
 6. The ventilated toilet system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured for activating the fan in response to a manual activation.
 7. The ventilated toilet system of claim 1 further comprising: a discharge port between the air extraction path and the fan unit.
 8. The ventilated toilet system of claim 1 further comprising: a vent port between the fan unit and the air discharge path.
 9. The ventilated toilet system of claim 1 further comprising: a sensor, wherein the controller is further configured for activating the fan in response to output from the sensor.
 10. The ventilated toilet system of claim 9 wherein the sensor is responsive to an element selected from the set consisting of: weight, movement, and light.
 11. The ventilated toilet system of claim 9 wherein the controller is further configured for de-activating the fan after a predetermined period.
 12. The ventilated toilet system of claim 1 further comprising: a water tank, wherein the fan unit sits within the water tank.
 13. A fan unit for ventilating a toilet, the fan unit comprising: a fan; an electrical power source; and a controller, wherein the fan is configured for drawing air from an air extraction path leading from a toilet bowl and for directing the extracted air to an air discharge path leading to a water discharge path, wherein the electrical power source is configured for powering the fan, and wherein the controller is configured for controlling the electrical power source to activate the fan.
 14. The fan unit of claim 13 wherein the fan is configured for drawing air from a plurality of air extraction paths.
 15. The fan unit of claim 13 comprising a plurality of fans.
 16. The fan unit of claim 13 further comprising: a check valve configured to prevent air from flowing from the air discharge path to the air extraction path.
 17. The fan unit of claim 13 wherein the controller is further configured for activating the fan in response to a manual activation.
 18. The fan unit of claim 13 wherein the controller is further configured for activating the fan in response to output from a sensor.
 19. The fan unit of claim 18 wherein the controller is further configured for de-activating the fan after a predetermined period. 